How to leave *awesome* feedback on TPT

Monday, 24 August 2015

Hello, buyers! Here are some tips on how to leave feedback that helps both you AND the seller on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Did you know that you get credits for leaving feedback?! How great is that! Very few buyers leave feedback, and they're missing out on FREE products later on. That's about as crazy as not registering your Starbucks card!
It's also really important to a seller to have feedback on their products. It lets other buyers know more about a product (e.g. "I love how this includes flashcards!", "My students loved this when we made it into a game!"), and it gives the sellers information on what their buyers love and want to see more of (e.g. "This is great! I'd love one with ten frames!"). To make this easy for you, TPT lets you sort your purchases by "needs feedback":

Did you know that our Canadian buyers are "harsher" markers than our American ones? This is because we apply the grading system we use in schools to the TPT grading system when we rate products.In our classrooms, we consider a "B" to have "met expectations".But to be honest, I'm pretty crushed when I get a 3/4 rating.

Please, please, PLEASE do not leave the dreaded "." as a comment. It really doesn't take long to write a few words (we know you can type fast!) and the seller will REALLY appreciate it.

Please be specific. Can you imagine if you sent home a student's rubric with a 3/4 and your only comment was "great work"?! The student's parents would be really confused! How can their child improve?! What should they have done instead?! This is what the buyer thinks when they read your rating! If you loved the product, then give it a 4/4!But if you didn't...

Option 1: Email the seller.This should be the first thing you try! Now, this won't get you an updated product EVERY time. We sellers are busy teachers too, and we won't always have time to add things in BUT we will definitely fix typos for you (yes, typos happen, we're only human!).
Some sellers will be happy to add things in or make changes to their product for you. Personally, I'd LOVE to know how to make my products better. If it's something that you want me to add in, chances are that other buyers would also want it! After all, we sellers WANT you to love our stuff!
Sending us an email also means that you'll get the updated product faster, as we can quickly email back and forth to plan specifics and get started on updating the product right away. This means a WIN for you, and a WIN for the seller. If we're being honest, a seller will also be more likely to update their product for you if you don't slam their ratings first!Option 2: Leave a Q & A.
I would only recommend this if you don't have the sellers email. They'll likely be able to reply faster to an email, and it would allow for replies back and forth if needed. The Q & A doesn't leave any room for a conversation. Option 3: Leave your *specific* feedback in the ratings comments.
This should be your LAST option. Think about it - you're losing out on the chance to talk with the seller about what you'd like them to improve for you. You're giving them a lower rating BEFORE giving them the chance to fix it for you. That's not very nice! You also can't edit your feedback - so if the seller updates the file based on your feedback, they're still stuck with that low rating.
Here's an example of a great interaction through the feedback section:

At the end of the day, remember: We sellers WANT your feedback (both positive and constructive!) so PLEASE take the time to send it to us. It will both make our day, and lead to better products for you in the future!